Terroir Insight: Domaine d’Auvenay, Chevalier-Montrachet

Beyond elusive … not even in my dreams. The red grand crus of Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay are both very rare and very costly – but the whites are even further away from the snout of the Winehog.

Both the Chevalier-Montrachet and the Batard Montrachet are in what I would call in a league of their own – if it was not for the Criot-Batard-Montrachet also from Domaine d’Auvenay.

Even the Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée- Conti is struggeling to keep up price wise.

So while the d’Auvenay whites are relatively unknown by the wine world, they are indeed in high demand – tasted by the few and lucky – who can afford such treats.

Domaine d’Auvenay a bit of background

Mme Lalou Bize-Leroy is the leading lady of Burgundy – originating from the very prestigious Maison Leroy, that was founded by her great-grandfather Francois Leroy in 1868 – although he was selling wines already back in 1851.

His son Joseph Leroy expanded the business, and his grandson Henri Leroy acquired a large share of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1942 from Jacques Chambon – and became co-owner with the de Villaine family.

In 1988 Mme Bize-Leroy founded a new estate – Domaine Leroy – now one of the most prominent estates in Burgundy.

Just a two years later in 1990, Mme Bize-Leroy took over her fathers house and estate Domaine d’Auvenay, as she acquired the share of her older sister, Pauline Roch (1929 – 2009), and began to expand the estate with vineyards both in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune – reds and white – creating a boutique estate alongside Domaine Leroy and Maison Leroy.

With a large share in DRC, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay – Mme Bize-Leroy is a both prominent and dominant force in Burgundy – owning plots in almost all the top Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy – from Montrachet via the Grand Crus of Vosne-Romanée to Musigny, Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin.

Chevalier – at the top, yet not matching Montrachet

Chevalier-Montrachet is by many seen as the second best vineyard on the Montrachet hill – after Montrachet – but somehow the Batard is prefer by others – especially to the Chevalier but even somtimes also to Montrachet.

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